Callers to businesses are often greeted by automated contact-handling systems such as Automated Call Distribution Systems (ACD) with their associated Interactive Voice Response (IVR) units. Such systems serve the purpose of providing the caller with automated information, connection to a particular department/function such as Sales, Service, etc. Many such systems support call queuing, where the caller waits on hold in a queue to be connected to an agent of the called business, often while hearing “music on hold” or other pre-recorded audio meant to entertain the customer or present to him/her informational, advertising, marketing, or sales messages.
When the on-hold experience has exceed the caller's patience threshold, it is not unusual for the caller to disconnect, at which time the caller often experiences negative attitudes towards the called business due to unmet expectations and wasted time.